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Chapter 12
"No, Niks. You weren't there with me. How can I lie?" Portlyn said. She was in a little yellow bikini in a beach chair. Nico had come pleading for her help on the beach.
Nico kneeled down to her and put his hands together. "Please. If you don't lie, the officers will lock me up for killing Dakota." Portlyn just ignored him, really.
Nico tried again. "They will send me to the gallows. And you will wear the white dress," then he stopped and changed it, "I mean, you will wear the white bikini!"
Portlyn looked at him as if that didn't mean she was going to lie for him.
"Please, darling," he said. "Can't you lie a bit for me? PLEASE!"
"Nope, not possible," Portlyn said. Nico realized why she was persistent.
"Okay, I wasn't very nice to you and your dad in the casino. I am very very sorry. Please do not make this as revenge. Please." Nico was on his knees, his hands put together, and had a look as if he was worshipping her.
"Sorry, I won't lie," she said, sipping lemonade.
"Can't you lie for a devoted husband?" Nico asked.
"No. I was with someone else at that time!" Portlyn admitted.
"WHAT?" Nico stepped back in shock.
"You insulted me that night. I was upset!" she said, a little upset right there.
"You were upset, so you went to someone else? I've been upset every time I gambled!" Nico threw his hands in the air. "But I never went with someone else. Who was it?"
"I can't tell you that handsome's name," Portlyn said.
"Handsome?" Nico said. "There's only one Handsome all over Malibu. It was James, right?"
"I won't say yes!" Portlyn exclaimed.
"James! That idiot!" Nico said, running away.
Portlyn got up. "Niks, stop! James is a black belt!"
Portlyn grabbed her little coverdress and pulled it over. She ran through the beach in search of her husband. She darted from place to place. Then she heard her husband's voice and someone else's coming this way…..
"You are simply great," Nico said to the person around his shoulder….James!
"Thanks," James replied, modestly.
"What's this?" Portlyn said, going to them. She grabbed a rose in her husband's hand. "Lucky winner? You too?"
"Don't get worked up," James said. "We're just friends."
"Friends," Nico agreed, smiling.
"Niks, darling," Portlyn said, grabbing his hand. "I thought I would never see you again."
"You thought I went to fight with him," Nico said, grabbing his wife's shoulder. "I went to reason with him. But he turned out to be smarter than me! He won't tell anyone he was with you between 12:30 to 1:00."
"Well, won't the hotel staff squeal?" Portlyn said. "You ordered wine, remember? You even took the wine from the waiter."
"Correct. I wore his gown."
"You wore my gown? Mine?"Nico exclaimed. "I don't like anybody touching my gown." He pulled his face into a pout and folded his arms
"Because of your gown, the waiter thought that it was you inside, not me," James said, reassuringly.
Flashback:
James and Portlyn were talking on the couch. Suddenly, someone knocked the door. James got up and looked through the peephole. Then he slightly opened the door, and just stuck his arm out through to grab the wine.
Flashback over.
"Remember how I took the wine from the waiter, Portlyn?" James said.
"James sure enlivens upset beauties," Nico said.
"But he never maligns them in public," James said.
"Dude, every man's wife is safe with you," Nico said, patting his back. "I have a couple of friends. I'll leave their wives to you. The safe deposit vault of wives! Leave behind and forget! Wonderful."
James laughed and Portlyn put her head in her hands.
~*~*~*
"I don't have one but two witnesses," Nico said. "My dear wife and the waiter."
Nico and Portlyn were in their extravagant hotel suite. Portlyn was on the treadmill and Nico was fixing his robe.
"To make sure everything's settled, I ordered wine from that waiter. When he sees me in the gown, he'll know it was me who ordered the wine that night."
"Oh dear, I'm so happy," he said, putting his arms around his wife. The doorbell rang and he quickly let go.
"My second witness is here!" Nico said, getting the door. He put his arm through the door and felt a tug on it.
"You'll break my arm. Let go," Nico said, struggling to get free. The door opened and saw that it was Marshall. Behind him, were Josh and some police officers.
"Inspector, you?" Nico asked. "Come on in. This is my lovely wife, Portlyn." Portlyn came up to them and said hi.
"She is your wife?" Marshall asked, incredulously.
"Is there anyone else here?" Nico asked.
"I can't believe she is with you," Marshall exclaimed.
Josh interrupted the conversation by going up to Portlyn. Marshall followed, lighting his cigarette.
He shook her hand and then went down to business. "On the night Dakota Condor's murder, was your husband with you in this suite?"
"Y-yes, he was with me," Portlyn stammered a bit.
"Hear that?" Nico said.
"Excuse me, sir," said the waiter, just coming in with some wine.
"Ah! My second witness!" Nico said. "Didn't you come in this room at 12:30 two nights ago?"
"Yes. To give wine," the waiter said.
"Was I the one in the gown?" Nico asked.
"Yes, of course," the waiter replied.
"Thank you," Nico blessed the waiter. Then he put some money on the tray. "Here's your reward and you can keep the wine!"
The waiter thanked him and left.
"Now are you satisfied?" Nico asked.
"I'm not satisfied until I find the murderer," Josh said, walking over to him.
"Wonderful! It's people like you who hold the nation together!" Nico praised him. He started shoving them to the door.
"We are very proud of you," Nico said, then they were completely out the door.
"Moron! He believed me!" Nico told his wife. Then the door opened with the policeman, Marshall, and Josh again.
"Another question, Mr. Nico," Josh said. "The garage guy said he saw someone get off the balcony."
"The balcony? Well who can get off the balcony but me?" Nico said.
"I see," Josh said. "Come on."
"Why?" Nico asked, following him out.
They were all on the balcony now and Nico froze.
"How did you get down from here?"
Nico looked around and spotted a pipe on the right side of the balcony.
"I used the pipe!" Nico said. "Actually, I love excitement! Everyone uses the stairs or the elevator! I use the pipe."
"Really? Climb down. I want to see you do it," Josh said.
Nico just stood there, shocked.
"Go on. I want to see how someone goes down the pipe five stories."
"Down the pipe?" Nico said.
Nico got on the pipe leg by leg. Then he went down one, very carefully. Then he tried again but slipped a bit, yet caught himself. He looked at the people on the balcony and hesitantly smiled.
After a few seconds, he was down. He sighed with relief. Then he turned and saw Josh standing next to him.
"H-how did you?" Nico asked.
Josh pointed to a ladder on the left side. Nico's mouth dropped.
Josh looked down. "Getting down this must be thrilling, huh?"
Nico looked down at the road and all the cars. He gulped. "Very thrilling."
"Let's try," Josh said.
"I have never gone down like this," Nico said, then spotted a huge pole that connected the hotel and another building. "There. I walk on that to that building. Then I climb down from there. Simple."
"Show me," Josh said, a little smirk appearing on his face.
"You want to see that too?" Nico said, terrified, going over to the pole. Portlyn looked down, worried.
"My insurance policy certificate is in the wardrobe's second drawer," he said to her.
Nico stepped on it. Then, little step by little step he went across. He thought he was going good until he slipped. Portlyn gasped when it happened, but Nico recovered quickly. Then he kept on doing slow steps till he saw there was a window right there. He scurried to it and jumped inside.
He got up and gasped for breath. The room was dark. Josh came in, too.
"Is this where you came in that night?" Josh asked.
"Yes," Nico replied. Then the light's turned on and Marshall entered. The room looked like a young lady's bedroom.
"This is Dakota Condor's bedroom. This is where she was murdered."
"What?"
Hey, sorry for the long update. I'm glad I got it on today. Remember to check out the website.
